A SUPERMARKET chain was accused of trying to keep its “retail monopoly” in Haworth by attempting to block a rival’s plans to open a new store.

Plans for a new Co-Op on the former fire station site in the village came before a planning panel for the third time yesterday.

Members voted to approve the new store, which are expected to create around 20 jobs.

The plan will see the fire station, which been empty for four years, demolished and a new store and 19 space car park built in its place.

Bradford Council’s Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Panel first approved plans for the store earlier this year.

But that decision was overturned following a judicial review in October, with a judge claiming the panel had not properly taken into account the proposal’s impact on the village’s Conservation Areas.

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That case had been brought by James Hall and Company, the owners of Spar.

There is a branch of Spar a short distance from the site.

With the last permission being quashed, the plans came before the panel once again. This time members were told that Conservation officers had once again looked at the building’s impact on the historic village’s heritage buildings.

They found that the new building would have no more of an impact on nearby heritage assets - nearby listed Bridgehouse Mill and the Keighley Worth Valley Railway, than the existing fire station.

There had been 14 objections to the application and 34 letters of support of the plans.

At the meeting representatives from James Hall & Co spoke to once again object to the plans.

They claimed the application was “rushed” back to the committee after the judicial review, and questioned the visibility splays that had been include in the application’s traffic report.

Principal Highways Engineer John Rowley said the Council had no major concerns about the traffic generation that would be generated by this proposal, and pointed out that visibility coming out of this site would be better than for traffic coming out of Spar.

David Brakenridge, speaking on behalf of the applicants, said: “This application has been challenged by James Hall and Company, which owns Spar.

“There is a desire by Spar to retain their retail monopoly in the village.

“Throughout the process, Spar have tried to stop development from a competitor.

“We want to develop this site, to bring choice and bring jobs to Haworth.”

Addressing the heritage concerns, chair of the panel Councillor Sinead Engel said: “What is planned to be built is no worse to look at than the fire station that is there now.”

Members then unanimously voted to approve the plans.

Along with the new store there will be a pedestrian crossing installed near the entrance to the shop on Station Road.

A new pedestrian footpath will be built from the entrance to the store to Bridgehouse Lane, and a public picnic area and viewing platform overlooking the Keighley Worth Valley Railway will be built behind the store.